Flashlight and electrical testing device



April 17, 1956 ,J. P. RYAN FLASHLIGHT AND ELECTRICAL TESTING DEVICE Filed July 5, 1951 ANDELEGTRICA-L TESTING nnvrcn Iames P. Ryan, Buffalo, N. Y.

' V appucaaun rmy s, 1951, sesame. 235,255-

' r or. 324-53) This invention relates toa combination flashlight and I electrical testing device.

In the prior art various electrical testing devices enerby means of dry cells have ,been proposed' Some cfthese prior art devices have been generally more or less in the form of a conventional flashlight and, further, some of the prior art proposals have included means whereby they maybe used either as a flashlight or as atestin-g device. In th'ese prior art proposals it has generally been necessary to incapacitate the flashlight function in order to utilize the apparatus as a testing device. However, since electrical testing must often be carried out in dark places or where the light is poor, it is unsatisfactory to use a device where the illuminating function of theflashlight must be interrupted to permit use of the testing arrangement.

The present invention provides means whereby the device may be continuously used for illuminating purposes without interruption for testing purposes. The device of the present invention further provides means whereby a wide variety of devices, such as fuses of various sizes and shapes, may be tested by direct application and without the necessity for connecting terminal wires or the like.

While a single complete embodiment of the principles of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the following specification by way of example, it is to be understood that such embodiment is merely illustrative, and that the principles of the invention are not limited thereto or otherwise than as defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal elevational view of one form of the device of the present invention with portions thereof broken away and partially shown in longitudinal crosssection;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing only one end portion of the device of Fig. l in elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

In the several figures of the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts, and the numeral designates a metallic tubular main casing member. One end of the casing 10 is provided with an enlargement 11 which is attached to the casing 10 in any conventional manner and houses a conventional lamp 13, reflector 14, and lens arrangement 15. The casing 10 contains a pair of conventional end-to-end dry calls 17 and 18.

The central electrode of dry cell 17 is in permanent electrical contact with the central terminal of lamp 13 in the usual manner, excepting that, for purposes which will presently appear, the bare end 20 of an insulated conductorZl is interposed between the dry cell electrode and the lamp terminal. The switch indicated only in outline at 23 in Fig. 1 is likewise entirely conventional and controls only the condition of lamp 13 in the usual man ner.

Reference will now be had chiefly to the opposite end of casing 10 which is provided with testing and illuminat- 2,742,607 C6 patented Apr. 17, .1956

. 2' p mean swhich, while energized by dry cells 17 and 18,.operates entirely independently offllamp 13 and regardless of whether lamp 13 is energized or not. Such An end cap mem er which is enerany' or dome shape is designated 30 and. has an end portion which its over the insulated end of casing 10 and is provided bayonet slots 31 for remoyable engagement with p'ins27, A generally circular insulating block is designated 33 in Fig. 1, and. a cup-shaped messing member 34 is fixed to block 33 many desired manner. p V r j The radial raceor cup member 34 is in electrical en gagement with the bottom end of dry cell 18,, and the circular wall of member 34 is in permanent electrical engagernent, withthe interior of casing 1'0 as indicated at 35inF1g1; p V

A generally circular piste of'conrructing material 38 is secured to the opposite face ofblock 33 and is flanged throughout most of its circumference as at 39 to provide an anchoring seat for a coil spring 40. At one part of its periphery plate 38 is provided with a radial extension which is offset and formed to provide a socket member The outer reduced end of cap member 30 has fixed' thereto, as by curling or spinning, a metallic sleeve member 45 which is threaded at its inner end to receive complementary threads formed on an annular flange element 46, the latter being fixed to a circular plate 47 which likewise has fixed thereto a threaded socket formation 48 for receiving the threaded base of a lamp 50. A contact plate 51 is clamped between a peripheral return bent flange 52 on plate 47, and a sheet of insulating material 54 is interposed between contact plate 51 and'plate 47 so'that they are permanently insulated from each other.

The plate 47 has a central opening of such size that the central terminal of lamp 50 passes freely therethrough for electrical engagement with contact plate 51 and the outer end of coil spring 40 engages against the opposite face of contact plate 51. Thus, the assembly of cap member 30 with casing 10, through the intervention of spring 40, presses the'insulating cup-shaped member 34 of block 33 firmly against the bottom of dry cell 18. a

An elongate resilient clip 55 is fixed to casing 10 as at 56 and extends throughout most of the length of casing 10 to provide, among other things, a pocket clip. It will be noted that pressing the outer free end of clip 55 against cap member 30 completes an electrical circuit for lamp 50 by way of the clip 55, cap 30, sleeve 45, flange member 46, plate 47, lamp socket 48, through the filament of thereon. Ring 60 is notched as at 61 and when notch 61 is in registry with clip 55, the latter may serve as a switch for energizing lamp 50. If ring 60 be rotated to any substantial degree, its main body portion prevents unintentiona1 engagement of the outer end of clip 55 with cap member 30.

The present apparatus may be used to test a wide variety of plug and cartridge fuses. Where the terminals of the fuse are in close proximity, as in plug fuses, the terminals of the fuse may be engaged directly against casing 10 and cap member 30, whereupon lamp 50 will illuminate if the fuse is sound. The manner in which longer cartridge fuses are positioned for test purposes is indicated in dotand-dash lines at A in Fig. 1.

Cap member 30 is provided with a hinge formation 64 which gives pivotal mounting to a ring 65. In the position shown in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 1, ring 65 is in a stored or parked position. Ring 65 may be swung out to attach the device to any desired support or for securement to a belt or other apparel of a user. The ring 65 further serves as a movable electrical terminal for cap member 30. Some fuses, such as the one shown at B in Fig. 2, have reduced end terminal portions, and in such case the ring 65 may be swung to facilitate engaging the opposite terminals of the fuses with casing 10 and cap member 30 for testing purpoes.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a flashlight comprising a cylindrical casing, a head assembly comprising a lamp housing and an incandescent lamp therein, dry cell means in said casing in series contact with one of the terminals of said lamp and with said casing, and manual switch means operable to connect said casing selectively with the other terminal of said lamp; an alternative line continuity testing circuit energized by said dry cells and comprising auxiliary casing means at the end of said cylindrical casing opposite to the head assembly and attached to said cylindrical casing but insulated therefrom, a lamp supported in said auxiliary casing with one of its terminals in contact with said auxiliary casing, and conductor means between the other terminal of said last-mentioned lamp and the said one terminal of the first-mentioned lamp, whereby temporarily electrically connecting the cylindrical casing and the auxiliary casing establishes a circuit for the second-mentioned lamp, said alternative testing circuit operable independently of said flashlight.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,528,709 Trimble Mar. 3, 1925 2,564,166 Marinello Aug. 14, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 587,036 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1947 

